Saturday, June 28, 2008

Green, It Does A Body Good

I don't know if what I have been doing qualifies as 'going green' but it is so hip right now. And I wanna be hip.

Since I started the TTC, I've changed my lifestyle quite dramatically and I’ve been struck not only by how quickly I've done changed my lifestyle but also by how long it’s lasted. If anyone had told me two years ago that I would give up alcohol, I would have slapped them. Over the course of my egg drop drama, I’ve given up some things and I’ve added some things. Here is the run-down.

WHAT I’VE STOPPEDMy Biggest AccomplishmentSince March 0f 2007, I’ve stopped drinking alcohol. This is surprising because I used to drink at least two glasses of wine every week, sometimes more. I love Malbec and Pinot Noir. I read that drinking alcohol can impact your fertility and at my age (as my doctor drilled into my head recently) I can’t afford to ingest anything that will slow down my egg production.

No Cow’s MilkA few years ago, I gave up all diary products but I used to cheat all of the time, so it was very half-arsed; however, since October 2007—the month I had fertility surgery, I have successfully given up all forms of diary—for real! And I have never looked back. I don't think that this impacts the TTC so much but I am lactose intolerant and I feel so much better now that I don’t cheat.

No Sugar OrgasmsOh, yeah, I no longer eat any chocolate. Why? My face was ‘hot mess’ I figured out that my chocolate intake used to make me break out all of the time. Chocolate coupled with injectible medication made my face look at a walking billboard for Proactiv. Just call me Jessica Simp.son.

No CaffeineMy favorite drink in the world used to be a soy café mocha. They I switched to soy lattes but that all came to an end in March 2007. I don’t drink coffee. The caffeine ruined my sleep and made me nervous wreck. I had to give it up especially when I started the injectible cycles.

Okay, so the four things that I have stopped taking regularly within the last year are: diary, chocolate, alcohol and caffeine. I do drink green tea, though, and that does have caffeine in it but it also has anti-oxidants so that cancels itself out, right? My doctor said that if or when I get pregnant I can drink the equivalent of one can of coke a day, so I am not going to beat myself up to much for an occasional cup of yerba mate. For the most part, though I drink no caffeine herb teas.

WHAT I’VE STARTEDFolic AcidI take pre-natal vitamins. My doctor suggested that I take the pre-natal vitamins because it can help to prevent miscarriage.

I have also increased my vegetable in-take, especially green leafy vegetables which are supposed to be high in natural folic acid--good for baby.

ISO My Inner OmWithin the last two weeks, I have started yoga and I think I've lost at least two pounds. I am going to the gym later on to weigh myself, so I will let you know for sure.

New 9 to 5Also, I started a new job this week and I think I will like it. The last one was waaaay too stressful and Nadia and I both think that it had a negative impact on my fertility.

Obviously, this new approach to my taking care of my body emerged from the TTC but it is taking on a larger meaning for me. I think that contemplating conception has forced me to consider what kind of planet I want my child to live in and how I want to leave the planet when I’m gone.

Congrats! Sometimes when I am feeling so over this whole thing, I remind myself that it really has caused me to make some great changes in my life. I used to be a total soda junkie-- now I don't drink it at all (and I do not drink coffee). This process, while pretty horrible at times, has caused me to be a lot more aware of what I am putting in my body. I guess you would call that a silver lining.

About Me

I am a thirty-something African American lesbian, queer, dyke with Caribbean roots in the hot pursuit of a pregnancy. I live with my partner, Nadia. About a year and a half ago the egg drop drama officially began. We had our very first visit with a reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Feelgood. And now I am waiting a few months before I start my first IVF cycle.

What is the Egg Drop Post?

This blog is about a woman who fell deeply in love with a woman eight years ago. It's about a feminist who never believed in tradition. It's about a child of immigrants who never believed in the American Dream. And it's about a daughter who never wanted to be a mother.

The Egg Drop Post chronicles how dreams are conceived with blood, sweat, and tears through the sands of time. This is my story but it could be your story too. Like the eggs in an hourglass, these are the days of our lives...